Brake mechanism



H. D. TAYLOR BRAKE MECHANISM Dec. 24, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1930 H. D. TAYLOR BRAKE MECHANISM Dec. 24, 1935.

Filed Feb. 6, 1930 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @www @n @m NLE@ /M @N H #H www my Patented Dec. 24, 1935 2,025,135A

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE lVlECHANISM Howard D. Taylor, New York, N. Y., assigner to Flexible Truck Corporation, Reading, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application February 6, 1930, Serial No. 426,278

7 Claims.v (C1. 18S-56) The invention relatesrto brake mechanism for the brake heads and are connected thereto by railway vehicles, and more particularly to the pivot pins 23 and 23. clasp type of brake mechanism and to the appli- To support the brake levers in the planes of cation thereof to motor trucks. the wheels, the side frames IB of the car truck The invention seeks to provide an improved, are provided intermediate their central and end 5y eiective brake mechanism consisting of few parts portions and at their upper edges with inwardly and which does not obstruct the space between projecting brackets or lugs 24, and at their upthe car wheels, so that ample room is afforded per end portions with inwardly and upwardly offfor electric motors, gearing and the like. set projections or brackets 25, and means car- 1'0 The invention consists in the features of imried by these brackets support the outer and 10v provement hereinafter set forth, illustratedv in inner brake levers I9 and 2|] of each pair in the the accompanying drawings, and more particuplane of the wheels. The side frames are preflarly pointed out in the appended claims. l erably formed of. cast steel and the brackets or In the drawings: projections 24 and 25A are cast integral with the 154 Fig. 1 is a plan View of a car truck provided side frames. 15V' with the improved brake mechanism. The upper end of the lever at the inner Fig. 2- is-a view partially in elevation and'parside of each wheel extends through a longituditially in longitudinal section. nal slot 26 in the bracket or lug 24, and a hanger Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail sections'on the lines for supporting each inner lever 20 comprises a 20 3 3, 4-4 and 5 5 respectively of Figs. 1 and 2, pair of relatively short links 21 (see Fig. 4) which and are disposed on opposite sides of the associated Fig. 6 is a detail section on the linee-6 of lever 20, are pivoted at their upper ends to the Fig. 2. bracket 24 and at their lower ends engage a pivot While applicable to other types, the present pin 28 which extends through the lever 20 inter- 2'5- improved brake rigging is sho-wn applied to and mediate its ends. The upper ends of the hanger 25` is particularly adapted for a four-'wheeledV car links 21 extend within slots in the bracket 24, are truck having means for permitting the limited connected thereto by pivot pins 29 and the latter vertical swinging movement of the truck side are secured in place by pins 30. frames relatively to the transverse connecting The inner bracket levers 20 are thus supported 30'- merhber or transom. As shown, the side frames and held against lateral displacement, but are 36" I0 are provided at their ends with pedestal yokes free to swing longitudinally of the truck in apforfengaging the journal boxes of the wheel axles plying'l and releasing the brakes. The outer brake II. The enlarged central portions of the side levers I9'are fulcrummed at their upper ends on frames are provided with central bearing openthe side frame brackets or lugs 25 and are -held y -ings for receiving end journals I2 of the truck against undue lateral movement by spacing bars 355 transom I3. Keys I4 xed to theside frames 3l which extend between the lower ends ofthe engage slots in the side walls of the transom jourbrake levers I9 at each end of the truck', and the nals to connect the parts in a manner permitting ends of which form the pivots 23 by which the the limited swinging movement of the side frames lower ends of the outer brake levers are con- 40 in passing over irregularities in the track. A bolnected to lthe brake heads.

ster I5 and bolster spring I6 are interposed be- Each pair of brake levers are connected intertWeen the side walls of the transom and together mediate their ends by an operating member with a spring plank I6 are supported by means which is in the form of a pair of spaced bars'v32. 0f hangers I'I carried by the transom'. Rods I8 These bars are disposed on opposite sides vofA the connect the side frames at their ends. intermediate wheel 2l and above the wheel and 45 The improved brake rigging, in its preferred axle and are connected to the inner brake lever 20 embodiment, is of the clasp type and comprises by the pivot pin 23,?and to the outer brake'lever pairs of opposed brake levers I9 and 20, one pair by a pivot pin 33. These bars are also provided for each wheel 2|. The brake levers I9 and 20 with connecting bolts 34 and a SDaCeI 35, the

A also serve as hangers for the brake heads 22, so latter being interposed between extensions on the 50' that the need for brake beams and additional inner ends of the bars, and also with rubbing hangers for supporting the brake heads is avoidplates 36 adjacent the periphery of the wheel. ed. To this end, the brake levers are supported The connections between the pairs of brake in planes of the wheels and,in the preferredform' levers at `each side of the truck comprise a pair e5. shown, their lower ends extend between ribs on of horizontal truck levers 3l and 38 which are 55' Y connected by an intermediate tension rod or pull-bar 39, and which is pivotally connected to V the levers intermediate their ends.

The inner ends of the horizontal levers 31 are each connected by a pair of interengaging clevises 4!) and V bar 44 to means, such as the brake cylinder for applying the brakes. The levers 31 at opposite sides of the truck could be connected by the pull-bars Yor rods 44 to an equalizing radius bar on the car truck, but preferably the brake cylinder and equalizer will be mounted on the frame ofthe car.

The improved brake rigging is of simple, effective construction, comprises few parts and occupies practically none of the Yspace between the truck wheels. The spaced pull-bars 32 which are disposed on opposite sides of the Wheels are relatively'thin and flat and are disposed on edge. It is also noted that the brake rigging at each .side is carried entirely upon an adjacent side frame, and hence is in no way affected by the swinging movement of the side frame relative to the truck transom. It is also noted that the connections between the brake levers are above the wheel axles so that the latter can be removed from the truckwithout taking down the brake rigging. The only weight imposedV upon the horizontal truck levers 3l' is that of the connecting rod 39, but to relieve the slight friction these levers preferably Vrest upon wooden blocks 45 fixed upon the upper faces of the side frames.

Means are provided for adjusting the brake rigging to take care of the reduced size of the wheels as the latter are ground down, and to this endrvmeans are provided for adjusting the upper ends of the brake levers. The inner brake levers areV adjusted by providing means for varying thelength of the tension rod 39 and preferably, as shown, this rod is formed of two sections connected by a turnbuckle 46. The outer brake levers i9 are adjusted in position by providing an adjustable fulcrum block 4l for the upper end of each lever. This block is U-shaped in horizontal section so as to embrace the upper'end of the leverrlS, and is connected thereto by a pivot pin i 48. Projections on the sides of the block engage guideways 49 formed in the inner and outer sides of Vthe bracket or lug 25, and an adjusting bolt 50 threaded through the inner end of the bracket is swivelled to the fulcrum block and serves to adjust its position in the guideways. As shown, the adjusting bolt 56 is provided with lock nuts 5I and a bolt 52 spans the open outer end of the bracket to avoid accidental disengagement of the brake lever therefrom. By the Ameans described, the brake rigging can be readily adjusted to take care of any reduction in the size of the Wheels.

Changes may be made in the details set forth without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In clasp brake mechanism, the combination with the truck side frame and a supporting wheel, of a pair of opposed levers in the plane of the Wheel, brake heads pivotally supported on the lower ends of Vthe levers, a pair of hanger links and a pair of longitudinally extending,

Vspaced bars having a common pivotal connection with one of said levers intermediate its ends, said bars extending on opposite sides of the wheel and above the wheel axle and being pivotally connected to the other lever intermediate its ends, the latter lever being pivotally supi ported at its upper end on the side frame, said hanger supported lever extending above its supporting hangers and above the side frame, and operating means extending over and supported on the side frame and connected to the upper end of the hanger supported lever.

2. In combination in clasp brake mechanism, a side frame, supporting wheels therefor, a pair of opposed brake levers disposed in the plane of each Wheel, brake heads supported on the lower ends of the levers, bars connecting each pair of levers and pivoted thereto intermediate their ends and disposed above the wheel axle, fulcrum supports for the upper ends of the outer brake levers, hangers for supporting the inner brake levers, horizontal truck levers disposed above the side frame, connected together inter-` mediate their ends and connected at their inner ends to the upper ends of the inner brake levers, one of said truck levers being fulcrumed at its outer end on the side frame, and an operating rod connected to the outer end of the other truck Y lever, substantially as described.

3. In combination in clasp brake mechanism, a truck side frame, supporting wheels therefor, a pair of opposed brake levers in the plane of each wheel, brake heads pivotally supported on the lower ends of said levers, fulcrum supports on the frame for the outer brake levers, hangers for supporting the inner levers, the latter extending above'said hangers and above the side frame, a pair of spaced bars connecting each pair of brake levers and pivoted thereto intermediate their ends, each pair of said bars being disposed on opposite sides of the associated Wheel 40 and above its axle, horizontal truck levers disposed above and supported on the side frame and connected at their inner ends to the upper ends of Vthe inner brake levers, and a tension rod connected to said truck levers intermediate their ends, the outer end of one of said truck levers Vbeing pivoted to the truck frame and the other leveradapted to be connected at its outer end to the brake actuating means.

4. In combination in clasp brake mechanism, a truck side frame, supporting Wheels therefor, a pair of opposed brake leversV in the plane of each wheel, brake heads pivotally supported on the lower ends of said levers, fulcrum supports on the frame for the outer brake levers, hangers for supporting the inner levers', a pair of spaced bars connecting each pair of brake levers and pivoted thereto intermediate their ends, each pair of said bars being disposed on opposite sides of the associated wheel and above its axle, horizontal truck levers disposed over the side frame and connected at their inner ends to the upper ends of the inner brake levers, a. tension rod connecting said truck levers intermediate their ends, one of the latter being pivoted at its outer endv to the side frame and the other adapted to be connected at its outer end to the brake actuating means, and means for adjusting said ful.- crum supports and the effective length ofsaid tension rod. 70

5. The combination With the truck side frame and a supporting wheel therefor, of a pair of upright opposed brake levers disposed in the plane of the wheel, brake heads supported on the lower ends of the levers, Va pull bar pivoted to the levers intermediate their ends and extending above the wheel axle, one of the levers being fulcrumed at its upper end on the side frame, pivoted hangers supporting the other brake lever, the latter lever extending above the upper ends of said hangers and above the side frame and operating means extending over and supported on the side frame and connected to the upper end of the hanger supported lever, substantially as described.

6. In combination, a car truck side frame having an inwardly oiset bracket adjacent its upper edge, a pair of depending hanger links pivoted on said bracket, a brake lever supported by the hanger links and extending upwardly through and above said bracket, and a horizontally disposed operating lever connected to the upper end of the brake lever.

7. In combination, a car truck side frame having inwardly oiset brackets at its upper edge, a supporting wheel, a pair of opposed connected brake levers, a fulcrum and a pair of depending hanger links on said brackets respectively supporting the brake levers in the plane of the wheel, the hanger supported lever extending upwardly between the hanger links and through and above the associated bracket, and a horizontallyfdisposed operating lever connected to the upper end of the hanger-supported brake lever.

HOWARD D. TAYLOR. 

